HealthDay News via WebMD Overall cancer death rates in the United States continue to fall, but racial gaps persist, a new report says.
Death rates fell between 2010 and 2014 for 11 of the 16 most common cancers in men and for 13 of the most common types in women, including lung, colon, prostate and breast cancers. However, death rates rose for cancers of the liver, pancreas and brain in men and for the liver and uterus in women.READ MORE

CNNAn aspirin a day may keep the doctor away. It may also reduce your chances of dying from cancer, according to a study on long-term regular aspirin use and different kinds of cancer.
Yin Cao, an instructor in the Medicine, Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, presented the information Monday at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Washington.READ MORE

Reuters via Fox NewsNewer cancer drugs that enlist the body's immune system are improving the odds of survival, but competition between them is not reining in prices that can now top $250,000 a year.
The drugs' success for patients is the result of big bets in cancer therapy made by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Merck & Co. Inc. and Roche Holding AG, among others in big pharma. READ MORE

Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology NewsAt the start of its embryo-building career, the fertilized egg has packed within its nucleus DNA from mom and DNA from dad. How all this DNA is organized — and how it is reorganized in the earliest stages of life — has remained hidden from scientists, beyond the reach of the technology commonly used to assess genomic organization. This technology, called Hi-C, typically requires hundreds of thousands or even millions of cells, which simply aren’t available in embryonic studies.READ MORE

The Endocrine Society via ScienceDailyExposure during infancy to the common plasticizer bisphenol A "hijacks" and reprograms genes in the liver of newborn rats, leading to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in adulthood. A new study has found how this process occurs, and researchers will present the results Saturday at ENDO 2017, the Endocrine Society's 99th annual meeting in Orlando, Florida.READ MORE

Health IT AnalyticsThe markets for next-generation genomic testing tools and precision medicine software and services will be worth more than $100 billion by 2022, according to a new series of market reports, propelled by breakthroughs in cancer care, big data analytics, pharmaceutical development, and bioinformatics.READ MORE

NatureNo two stem cells are identical, even if they are genetic clones. This stunning diversity is revealed today in an enormous publicly available online catalogue of 3D stem cell images. The visuals were produced using deep learning analyses and cell lines altered with the gene-editing tool CRISPR. And soon the portal will allow researchers to predict variations in cell layouts that may foreshadow cancer and other diseases.READ MORE

CNNGracie Gregory smiles beneath her brilliant blue eyes. She's sitting on her mother's lap, next to her older sister, Ryleigh, who boasts about Gracie being "very sweet and kind."
It wasn't always so. Just a couple years ago, Ryleigh, 11, was scared of her sister when she'd throw tantrums and screaming fits.READ MORE

Boston University Medical Center via ScienceDailyResearchers have developed a new approach for growing and studying cells they hope one day will lead to curing lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis through "personalized medicine."
Researchers at the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) have discovered that one particular signaling pathway, Wnt, helps direct lung development.READ MORE

By Jason Williams Some things just go together. Pen and paper. Chocolate and peanut butter. So what about patient access and analytics? Maybe you never thought of bringing them together, but who considered chocolate and peanut butter before it happened? As we commemorate Patient Access Week from April 2-8, hospitals can make their revenue cycle sweeter by using analytics to improve patient access, and we'll discuss how. But first, some context.READ MORE

STAT NewsThese are uncertain times for the National Institutes of Health, which is facing serious threats to its funding. That’s led to questions about the future of NIH’s big projects, such as the Precision Medicine Initiative.
The Obama-era initiative aims to recruit 1 million volunteers with diverse backgrounds, and probe their genetic and health data. The hope is to gain new insight into how disease manifests — and how best to treat it.READ MORE

Health IT AnalyticsHealthcare providers who want to wade into the value-based care ecosystem are well aware that they must overcome a number of technical and organizational hurdles before they can reap the rewards of joining an accountable care organization or taking on a pay-for-performance contract with a payer.READ MORE

HealthcareDIVEThis is the first year of collecting performance data under MACRA, which rewards providers for high quality care and compares them to other providers in their area. Although debate on the future of the ACA continues in Congress, MACRA seems safe. It was passed with bipartisan support and has been praised by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.READ MORE

The New York TimesThe Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved a drug to treat people with a serious form of eczema, a potential breakthrough for people who have suffered for years without relief. But it will not come cheap.
The drug, to be called Dupixent, will carry a list price of $37,000 a year, a hefty price tag for patients who are increasingly being asked to pay a larger share of the drugs they take. Still, its price is a bit lower than many other commonly used biologic drugs, such as Humira and Enbrel, that treat other skin diseases.READ MORE

STAT NewsForty years ago, one of Dr. Stephen Hauser’s first patients was a young Harvard Law School graduate and White House aide with a case of multiple sclerosis that raced like a brush fire through her brain. She quickly lost her ability to speak, swallow and breathe. She got married in a wheelchair in her hospital room, tethered to breathing and feeding tubes and dressed in her wedding gown.READ MORE

The Associated Press via U.S. News & World ReportWhite House officials made a new offer to conservative House Republicans late Monday on the GOP's failed healthcare bill, hoping to resuscitate a measure that crashed spectacularly less than two weeks ago.
Vice President Mike Pence and two top White House officials made the offer in a closed-door meeting with members of the House Freedom Caucus, according to a participant. Opposition from the hard-line group, which has around three dozen conservative Republicans, contributed to circumstances that forced House Speaker Paul Ryan to withdraw the bill from a March 24 vote that would have produced a certain defeat.READ MORE

Kaiser Health News via NPRWould opening the door to cheaper, skimpier marketplace plans with higher deductibles and copays attract consumers and insurers to the exchanges next year? That's what the Trump administration is betting on.
In February, the administration proposed a rule that would take a bit of the shine off bronze, silver, gold and platinum exchange plans by allowing them to provide less generous coverage while keeping the same metal level designation.READ MORE

NAMCP UPDATES

CVS Health today announced the company will launch Reduced Rx™, a prescription savings program that will offer discounts on certain medications – through CVS Health’s pharmacy benefits manager, CVS Caremark – directly to patients. The program will help patients with high out of pocket costs afford essential medications. Novo Nordisk will participate in the prescription savings program. Through this program, CVS Health and Novo Nordisk will offer Novolin R®, Novolin N® and Novolin 70/30® human insulin at a cost of $25 per 10ml vial, which reflects a potential savings of as much as $100 for cash paying patients. Click here for more information.

Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc. is a rapidly emerging biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative therapies utilizing the Medici Drug Delivery System™ – therapies that have the potential to transform the prevention and management of serious chronic diseases. Across chronic diseases, medication non-adherence can compromise clinical outcomes and drive excess cost to the healthcare system. Intarcia is working to address this problem through innovative technologies. We invite you to visit our website to learn more.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issued positive guidance recommending the use of the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis to help determine the cause of stable chest pain in patients. The HeartFlow FFRct Analysis is the first non-invasive technology to provide insight into both the extent of coronary artery disease and the impact that disease has on blood flow to the heart, aiding clinicians in selecting an appropriate treatment. Please click here to view the full press release.

Last month, Novo Nordisk received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for the New Drug Application (NDA) for Xultophy® 100/3.6. Xultophy® 100/3.6 is a combination of insulin degludec and liraglutide, indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus inadequately controlled on basal insulin or liraglutide. The FDA has required Novo Nordisk to distribute the safety notice as part of the Xultophy® 100/3.6 REMS program. Click Here for the Letter. Click Here for the fact sheet.

Courtagen Life Sciences, Inc., an innovative molecular information company focused on providing genetic diagnoses for neurological conditions through next generation sequencing, offers a broad range of genetic testing panels for epilepsy, including recently-added epiSEEK® Spotlight Panels designed to target genes that have been reported in association with specific phenotypes for epilepsy and seizure disorders. Please click here for more information.

Based on published clinical data, Humana, Medical Mutual of Ohio and Preferred One independently determined and published policies stating that Biodesix’ VeriStrat® test can be considered medically necessary for patients with advanced NSCLC. The VeriStrat test provides physicians with prognostic and predictive information to inform treatment of advanced NSCLC, and can facilitate patient-physician conversations about prognosis, life expectancy, and treatment recommendations. Click here for more information.

The treatment cost for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients in the U.S. is approximately $14 billion a year and is projected to rise through 2020. To help managed care professionals more effectively analyze medical and pharmacy claims, Bayer has developed the “Treatment and Analysis of Colorectal Cancer Evidence” (TRACE) Analyzer. Click here for more information and who to contact.

In a recently published study, researchers demonstrated that the DecisionDx-UM gene expression profile test accurately predicts metastatic risk for uveal melanoma patients and is being used by physicians to appropriately guide patient care decisions with the ultimate goal to improve net health outcomes. Please click here to review the full press release.